Problem

Nigeria is the world’s 14th largest producer of tomatoes, yet imports nearly 100% of its processed tomato products, which are a staple of the Nigerian diet. At the same time, over half of the tomatoes grown by Nigerian farmers rot before they reach market because of seasonal harvest gluts, poor supply chains and a lack of commercial buyers to process tomatoes into value-add products.

Market Demand

The Nigerian market for imported tomato products, estimated at $1.5B, is the 4th largest in the world, and in the case of tomato paste, the largest in the world (estimates suggest greater than ~$800M is spent annually).

Solution

Tomato Jos shrinks the distance between Nigerian farmers and Nigerian consumers by integrating across the value chain. By operating its own nucleus farm, while also working with smallholder farmers to increase tomato yields, the company ensures it has the raw inputs needed to economically run its processing operations. Once processed, the tomato paste packaged into Tomato Jos-branded sachets and distributed via retailers, traders and distributors to Nigerian consumers in and around Abuja and the adjacent states.

Management Team

• Mira Mehta, CEO (Brown University, (B.A.), Harvard Business School (M.B.A.), Clinton Health Access Initiative, BlackRock)
• Art Cordaso, Vice President – Farming (California State University, Chico (B.S., Agriculture), The Morning Star Packing Co., Monsanto)

Impact

At scale, Tomato Jos will work with thousands of smallholder farmers over 2,600Ha of land, putting more than $1M of direct income into the local economy each year.

Comparable Companies

• Olam
• Erisco
• Sosaco
• Heinz